Leadership is an inward thing!

Scripture Read:  1 Timothy 3:1-7  It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Application: In Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, in Book 3, Chapter 8 “The Great Sin”, there is an incredible chapter on pride, worth the time for every child of God to read. It is only a few pages long, but has a lifetime of wealth in it. I highly recommend it. Nothing is more dangerous than pride and Paul knew that and here warns about what I call “Harvesting before maturity”. Paul states that an elder should not be “not a new convert”, why? When someone very young in the Lord is lifted into a position of prominence and authority, it can very easily go to their head and they can be lifted up in pride, which Paul describes as the sin of Satan. When we think “we’re all that” a fall is just ahead. Young believers need to learn the danger of their flesh, learn they can fall and be restored. Even Apollos in Acts 18:24-26 had to learn temperance: "Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus.  He was an eloquent speaker,well-versed  in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak out fearlessly  in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately”. Apollos had to learn to show love and follow leaders and submit to those in authority over them. This is healthy and leads to a natural growth that makes them better leaders later. 

The last issue Paul brings up is very important if the Body of Christ is to have the impact on the world as the Lord desires. An elder needs to have “a good reputation with those outside the church”. Although, this is true for all believers, it is most important for the elder. Many leaders in the church can become callus to the world because they are around believers so much. They can begin to focus only on how to help their flock and treat unbelievers like they are second-class humans! Nothing is farther from the truth or the heart of our God, and nothing is more desired by the enemy. If an elder has a bad reputation among unbelievers, a very important bridge has just been torn down. Remember, if you have an unbelieving friend and are loving him toward Christ, when he comes to church and sees an elder with a bad reputation he has experienced or knows about, because he is a terrible neighbor or some other such thing, you will not see that friend return! We must remember we represent Christ to those that do not know Him, we may be the only Bible they ever read! As God calls us into leadership, we will see many blessings, but we must be conscious of the truth from Luke: Luke  12:48… From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Meditation Questions: Are you in a hurry to become a leader? Why? Do you see the movement of time as a way to become prepared to do what God has made you for? When someone below in position, disrespects you, what do you feel? What does that show? If your name is left out of a recognition of something you were a part of, what do you feel? What does that show? When others are honored and you are not, what do you feel? What does that show? What would those that know you, but don’t know Christ, say about you?